Electric commutator.



N0. 7||,873. Patented Oct. 2|, I902.

W. LOEWEN.

ELECTRIC COMMUTATOR.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1902.)

(No Model.)

FIG-l n1: NORRIS PETERS co, morauruq. wASNmnYcN o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILI-IELM LOEWEN, OF BRESLAU, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC COMMUTATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,873, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed March 22, 1902. Serial No. 99,497. (No model.)

T 0 (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM LoEWEN, engineer, of No. 58 Neudorfstrasse, city of Breslau,Province of Silesia, Empire of Germany, have invented. some new and useful Improvements in Electric Oommutators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is an electric commutator operated upon by quicksilver and consisting of two chambers. One of these two chambers serves as the receptacle for the quicksilver and the other as contactchamber. In similar apparatus known up to the present the quicksilver has to return from the contact-chamber into its proper receptacle after the interruption of the electric circuit exclusively through a single narrow channel connecting said chambers, so that a considerably-long period is required until the apparatus is again ready for use.

The purpose of the presentiniprovement is to avoid this inconvenience, and this is offected by an arrangement below described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents the apparatus in operation-t'. e. during the period when the quicksilver is passing from its receptacle into the contact-chamber. Fig. 2 represents the apparatus during the period when the quicksilver is returning from the contact-chamber into the receptacle.

The whole apparatus is capable of being turned around the shaft 7). The receptacle a The contact-chamber (Z is provided with proper means for closing the electric circnit-for instance, at the bottom with a contact-pin f and with one or more contact-pins g on the sides, said contact-pins fg being in connection with wires 7t 1 The method of working of the apparatus is as follows! In the position of the apparatus represented by Fig. 1 the quicksilver is running slowly from the receptacle Ct into the contact-chamber d. As soon as the quicksilver has reached the contact-pin g the closing of the circuit is effected, by which process a connecting contrivance (not illustrated) of a known or any proper construction is operated upon.. Thereupon the apparatus may be by hand or automatically brought into the position illustrated by Fig.2, and the quicksilver will then quickly run back into its receptacle through the narrow channel 0, as well as the side channels e, thelatter ones being of large diameter to expedite this process.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an electric commutator the combination of a chamber, containing quicksilver, with a contact-chamber, a channel of small diameter connecting said chambers, one or more side channels of larger diameter between said chambers, and means for closing the circuit, in the described manner and for the purposes mentioned.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

WILHELM LOEWEN. l/Vitnesses:

EWALD BoEHM, HERMANN BARTSCH. 

